I plan on attending. definatly. although I do not know how exactly to get there. I dont plan on dressing up but I dont have a prob with others. its cool to see costumes! . I would prefer it to be saturday but Im up for any day really

Any day suits me, might even go for both of them. Won't be dressed up. Would be great to see some costumes though.

If anyone needs a guide to get them there from the local public transport locations, I'm happy to meet up with people on the way to the event. Can't help re driving - likely to send you down several one way streets the wrong way

I can't believe I got confused over this - Collectormania is usually in London or some farflung place where no Northern usually treds! So it's Manchester???!!! WHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I am so there, not much so for signings and stuff (I doubt there is much new comics/books that I'll need - up to date at the mo), but finally I can meet you lot!

Even tho I am an hour away on the train, I may well book a hotel for the Friday/Saturday nights so I can be part of any after-Mania-activities I best scout out places next weekend when I come up to my old home, bet it rains too! Southport - Manchester trains stop after about 10pm, so I may as well stay in a hotel, think there is one near Deansgate where the G-Mex is, that opened a few years back.

Not sure if Mary checks the UK North, I'll better see if she wants to do the meet for then, so she can do her Bollyshop in Rusholme. Never been this excited to return to Manchester lol.

Do you reckon I should get the early bird for Sat? Or the standard to get me in for 11am?

Bevvies are great (thou I'll be on coca cola as I don't booze like you lot ).
Thanks Go_away for the thought, np I'll do the hotel and try to get a central one. It's my own fault for not learning to drive (I did take lessons, but my eyesight is bad and my distance judgement is worse, so I gave up and rely on public transport instead lol). I could let my friend know I am there, he lives near Rusholme, but I may not pester him, it'd be strange to crash at his and his gf who I have never met. I haven't slept in Manchester for a few years, will be nice to be in the city again. Just hope we don't bump into my ex lol, that'll be scary.

I'll do the standard ticket then, Gold is within my current means (though that may change early next year, but it isn't the same as CIII which was pure SW). I can live with getting in after 11am lol.

I want to do Sat and Sun and hope to meet up with some of you guys ad gals for a night out maybe on the Sat?

Hotel? Is the Ibis near to the venue then? Anyone wanna share a twin room to save some Â£'s? Room costs are Â£51 this year, probably nowt much different for March I would guess...Â£25 each looks good t me - gone are my days of sleeping in the Manchester bus station area (dodgy at the best of times....)

And I think I'll be among them! Thanks for the heads up about the Ibis - I've stayed in them before and I know what to expect. Now if I can just twist the wife's arm, make sure the kids are with their father, buy a proper jedi robe in time....

...have been busy scouring the net to find a cheap city centre area Manchester hotel...little joy, aside from the Ibis right now at Â£55 for the one night (room only)....could the Ibis be the FFUK venue for accomodation....any thoughts...?

Jase, been to Manchester today to attempt to finish off the chrimbo shopping (failed miserably btw, but Amazon UK is my best pal lol ), I picked up a guide to staying in Manchester, when I get time tomorrow I'll take a look at it.

I was thinking of this place - http://www.premiertravelinn.com/pti/home.do - Someone at work recommended the Premier Inn, though in a roundabout way - they went through "Travel Inn or Lodge", then "Holiday Inn" and then finally "Premiere Lodge". I googled and found the Premier Travel Inn lol

Holiday Inn doesn't seem to have a central Manchester location, so no good.

This sites lists a lot of hotels - http://manchesteronline.laterooms.com/sr.php3?a=l&lang=eng&a=l&lang=eng&al2=manchester&al1=0&d=0&n=1&b=1

This is where the G-Mex is located - http://www.ncp.co.uk/multimapform.aspx?client=ncp_xml&width=500&db=gb&height=290&X=383736.98057327&Y=397785.939312928&themode=3&dist=0.06,0.06,0.19,0.25,0.30,0.37,&scale=5000&type=zoom

There is a tram stop at Deansgate, next to the G-Mex, so if you are coming from Picadilly train station then we can all meet up there and use the trams to ferry between there and any nearby hotels. Damn I love those trams lol (used to live by the Bury-Manchester line)

I'll post more tomorrow, I best get some rest, was hectic in Manchester city centre today.

...just had a look at Premiertravelodge....55.95 for the night plus car parking charge...only available at the Portland St hotel...still cheaper at the Ibis....I also rang around a couple more centre hotels who were also full for that night...so I have made a provisional booking at the Ibis for a twin room - they didnt ask to take a credit card or anything and still booked it over the phone...receptionist said that they still had a few rooms left...looks like its gonna be a busy weekend...

Although I would enjoy going on the tram, it really isnt that far to walk to the G-Mex...get healthy Tim!

ps. it seems that only the real expensive hotels in Manchester have free car parking...the rest are NCP - cost Â£10 for 24 hrs....at least NCP are fairly secure...

Lol Jase,
I am only talking trams for people coming via trains to Manchester and who have bags, so they don't need to get taxis etc. I am planning on having a small rucksack myself, just need a change of clothes for Sunday. I just walked most of the city centre of Manchester yesterday

Tim - you need Jedi underpants - they never need changing each day, thanks to the ways of The Force...

Are you convinced to book the Ibis then? Although we both dont drink, the bar will be ours!!!! We will enslave Lord O to toil behind their bar all night!!!! I think he needs to do a bit of work, seeing as though he has had a 'virtual' skive in the FF-UK pub all this while...